Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve

I'm not sure if it's Richard Ashcroft's voice, the lovely orchestral arrangement of a Rolling Stones tune or the lyrical sentiment:

Cuz it's a bittersweet symphony,
That's life.
Try to make ends meet,
Try to find somebody,
Then you die.

This has always been one of my favorite tracks. I don't really have a lot more than that to say about it...no special association with a cherished moment in my life or a heartfelt romance gone wrong. It's simply a brilliant piece of 90's Brit rock.

33/265

Live Forever - Oasis

There was a long-running dispute between myself and an old friend about who heard Oasis first. I'm sure we were easily the two biggest fans in the Tri-State area in the late 90s, but I'll confess that he really took a shine to them first. I simply think I heard "Live Forever" on the radio before he did.

I really didn't know at the time that I'd discovered what would become my favorite band, one that would help turn me in a whole new direction in my musical tastes. Honestly, I'm not sure I thought the song was all that good. The first album, Definitely Maybe, despite being the best selling debut in British history (well, before the Arctic Monkeys, I believe), has never been one of my favorites from Oasis.

Still, as a fan reflecting and with a much deeper appreciation for this first foray into music genius, there is a lot to love. Sure, Liam's voice is incredibly nasal and the beat is pretty simplistic, but the lyrics are sharp and the guitar solo is beautiful, especially to hear in concert.

32/365

Bleed American - Jimmy Eat World

September 11, 2001 was a strange time to be an American, to be sure. I'm not going to delve into the political or historical aspects of it, but censorship reared its ugly head in many ways in the wake of the attacks. I was working in a bookstore at the time and saw books being removed from shelves that depicted the Twin Towers to be replaced by new versions without the "offensive" buildings on the covers.

One of the most absurd changes I encountered was Jimmy Eat World's breakthrough album. Originally titled Bleed American (the lead track), the band made it self-titled in the wake of the attacks, fearing misinterpretation. It's sad that that was probably a wise choice. I've even seen the track name changed to "Salt Sweat Sugar" in some formats.

Regardless, though the album would garner national attention on later singles (most notably "The Middle"), I was hooked when I heard "Bleed American," a rocker with strange lyrics that gets you right into the fray of an album I couldn't stop listening to for months after getting it and still adore today.

31/365